BY THE REV. R. F. WHEELER, M.A. 3 



20th, and 24th. At North Shields, on thirteen days. At Wal- 

 lington, on the 1st, 2nd, and 10th to the 23rd. At Whitley, on 

 the 1st to the 5th, 9th to the 15th, 21st, and 22nd. 



Hail fell at North Shields on four days. 



Lightning was seen, but thunder was not heard at AUenheads 

 on the 12th. At Whitley, on the 29th and 30th. 



February. — An old Latin weather proverb, quoted by Sir T. 

 Browne in his "Vulgar Errors," tells us : — 



" Sic sol splendescat Maria Pnrificante, 

 Major erit glacies post festum quam ante fuit." 



Which is popularised in the not uncommon English lines : — 



" If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, 

 "Winter will have another flight ; 

 But if Candlemas Day brings clouds and rain, 

 Winter is gone, and will not come again." 



Candlemas Day, 1867, was remarkably fine over nearly the 

 whole of England. 



The Germans have also a couple of common proverbs about 

 Candlemas Day : — 



" The shepherd would sooner see the wolf enter his stable on 

 Candlemas Day than the sun." 



And, "The badger peeps out of his hole on Candlemas Day, 

 and when he finds snow, walks abroad ; but if he sees the sun 

 shining, he draws back again." 



The month of February was marked by high temperature, not 

 only in the north, but throughout England. 



At Greenwich, the mean temperature was 44*7°, being 6*4° 

 higher than the average of the preceding ninety-six years, and 

 higher than that of any year since 1779, when it was 45*8°. In 

 1794 and 1850 the mean value (44-7^) was obtained. 



Wylam. — A very fine month, a remarkably even temperature 

 prevailing throughout. A more sudden fall of the barometric 

 pressure than that of last month took place between the 3rd 



